1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heating apparatus, and, more particularly, to free-standing stove/fireplace apparatus for heating purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S Pat. No. 4,254,756 discloses a fireplace insertable into an existing masonry fireplace. The apparatus of the '756 patent, invented by the inventor of the present invention, utilizes outside air for combustion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,488, also by the inventor of the present invention, also utilizes outside air for combustion purposes. The apparatus of the '488 patent is designed as a fireplace and, like the '756 apparatus, includes a plurality of chambers through which room air circulates for heating purposes.
Another fireplace/furnace apparatus which utilizes a plurality of heated air chambers for heating purposes and an outside air source for combustion purposes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,052.
The patents discussed above are designed, generally speaking, as fireplace/furnace apparatus. Some of the embodiments of the '052 patent may be utilized for cooking purposes, and accordingly include a flat top or a flat portion, or a chamber, for cooking purposes. However, the '052 apparatus is designed to be disposed against a wall and it may be bricked in, at least in part, not unlike a fireplace installation. None of the apparatus discussed in the preceding patents are designed as free-standing units, spaced apart from a wall and communicating with the exterior of a structure only through the ceiling.
As is understood, negative pressure problems arise within a closed structure when room air is used for combustion purposes, as in a "common" fireplace and particularly as in free-standing fireplaces of the prior art. With combustion and room air separated, as in the apparatus in the above-discussed and referenced patents, negative air pressures are not created due to the separation of the two air systems.